Watch WALL-E

"After 700 years of doing what he was built for, he'll discover what he was meant for."

Pixar Studios has showed us a string of phenomenal movies of all ages in recent years. The studios debut film Toy Story placed them on the map, and that film's sequel alongside Monster's Inc. following positioned them as movie-making mainstays. The film Wall-E is a natural evolution of the studio, and sets a new precedence of brilliance. Wall-E is almost unequivocally the best film in the studios catalog, and plays on so many ideas with such splendid aplomb, it makes one adore the movie-making magic that was painstakingly crafted to perfection here.

About 1000 years in the future, Earth is coated in garbage, fueled by Earth's over consumption and disrespect for the planet. The survivors left he planet, and left behind a series of robots to clean it up, in hopes of possibly returning in the future. The humans never did, and the robots eventually broke and abandoned their jobs. Yet, one robot remains, and it is Wall-E. He combs the Earth, fixing and cleaning and collecting human artifacts for his collection.

After some time, Wall-E comes across a tiny little plant. This alerts the robot EVE whose job is to uncover life returning to the planet. Wall-E becomes entranced by EVE and hitches a ride to a massive aerial spaceship as EVE leaves Earth with the plant intact.

The remaining film centers on the bloated human population, who float around in capsules and are appropriately huge by never having to exercise or do much of anything without robot assistance. The film follow Wall-E and a cast of wild robotic characters through the dark and sometimes erratic confines of the robotic ship, all in pursuit of the mysterious plant which shows that life on Earth is again possible.

Of course, some don't want to return, and the rat race explores new themes while opposing forces fight to either save or destroy the plant forever. As far as Pixar films go, this one's social commentary is immediate and distressing. For adults, it captures a world as magical as it is frightening. For children, the adventure is miraculous and enthralling, as Wall-E shows the emotional range of a human character all within the structure of a robot. Wall-E is more than just a fun distraction. It is commentary on the future, coated in a blanket of fun characters and a great story for all ages.